Inland Greece, Meteora Monasteries

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The monasteries of Meteora, Greece, are considered among the most awe-inspiring and surreal religious sites in the world.

On our way from Ioannina to Volos, we chose a 1.5-hour detour through some of the most beautiful countryside I’ve ever seen, heading toward Kastraki—the closest village to the Meteora monasteries. 

By this point in our trip, Rob’s driving skills had seriously leveled up. He handled the narrow, winding, two-lane mountain roads like a race car driver, often commenting how glad he was that we’d rented a five-speed. At times, massive tour buses and 18-wheel trucks came barreling around sharp hairpin turns, nudging oncoming cars toward cliff edges that dropped thousands of feet. There were moments when I honestly couldn’t bear to look.

With help from ChatGPT—whose travel advice we’ve admittedly relied on quite a bit—we landed at Doupiani House, a boutique hotel uniquely positioned in front of Meteora’s stunning natural spectacle. It was the last stop on the winding road leading into the mountains and up to the monasteries.

After checkin in we drove up the mountain and carefully bouldered out on a ledge to look back at the village, and see the monasteries at sky view and then enjoyed yet another extraordinary meal in the village. 

After a night’s sleep we returned to visit the monasteries from the inside. No photos were allowed inside the buildings, which held original manuscripts, centuries-old murals, and sacred artifacts dating back to the 1300s. As is customary in Greece, I was given a wraparound sash to wear—women must cover their shoulders and knees when entering religious sites.

The monasteries themselves are perched on enormous natural stone columns oozing with life and fauna, birds and kitten (no kidding) where they appeared to float between earth and sky. Built by hermit monks beginning in the 14th century and continuing through the 16th, these spiritual sanctuaries were originally accessible only by rope ladders or baskets hoisted up the rock walls by pulleys. Today, they are protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.



I can hardly find words to describe the feeling of sitting on a manicured veranda, with a cacophony of bird songs overhead, surrounded by European travelers speaking a symphony of languages, eating homemade Greek food and companioned by local cats at our feet (ubiquitous in Greece those these were noticeably tidier) while facing a landscape where breathtaking natural beauty meets awe-inspiring human creation. I definitely view this stop as a once in a lifetime experience. 


(Veranda at Duoponi House Hotel) 


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